Nicknamed the ‘Pink Panther,’ Paula Creamer is one of the most popular players on the LPGA Tour, but had not won since the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open. She started Sunday four shots behind the leader Karrie Webb, but shot up the leaderboard with a final round three-under par 69.
Webb collected her 40th LPGA Tour victory two weeks ago at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, but failed to maintain her lead on Sunday. The Hall of Famer struggled on the back nine in Singapore, posting bogeys on Nos. 13, 15 and 18 for a final-round two-over par 74. Her total for the week of nine-under par left her one shot behind Creamer and Azahara Munoz.
Munoz forced the playoff by shooting two-under par 70 on Sunday and posting 10-under par for the tournament.
In the playoff, Munoz and Creamer played the par-5 No. 18 and tied it the first time around. They returned to the 18th tee for the second sudden-death playoff hole and Creamer drained a 75-foot eagle putt that gave her the win.
Creamer joined the LPGA Tour in 2004 and won nine events from 2005 through 2010. She won the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open, while dealing with a painful hand injury, but accurate driving and superb touch on the severe Oakmont greens gave her the win.
Even though she had not won for the last three years, Creamer has been one of the most consistent players on tour with 93 career top-10 finishes and nearly $11 million in total earnings.
This win puts her record at 2-2 in playoffs. She lost her last playoff appearance when Na Yeon Choi bested her in a marathon nine-hole playoff that took two days to finish at the 2012 Kingsmill Championship.
Creamer has played in all four events thus far in the 2014 and now leads the Race to the CME Globe that awards a $1 million bonus to the top player at the end of the year.
Webb finished solo third just ahead of a large group that finished two shots farther back at seven-under par.
Inbee Park, Suzann Pettersen, So Young Ryu, Morgan Pressel and Angela Stanford all finished tied for fourth. Stanford started Sunday just one shot behind Webb, but her final round three-over par 75 moved her down the leaderboard.
Michelle Wie collected her second top-10 finish in her three starts this year. Her five-under par total was good for a T-9. Wie is beginning to show the form that many had predicted for her early in her career.
Lydia Ko finished at two-under par for the tournament and alone in 15th. Lexi Thompson fell to T-16 with a final round 73.
Former world No. 1, Yani Tseng shot 74-74 on the weekend in Singapore and fell to T-35.
Stacy Lewis struggled all week and broke her string of top-10 finishes. She shot 75-72-73-73, finished at five-over par and T-40.
This completes the ‘Asian Swing’ for the women. They will return to the continental U.S. for the Founders Cup March 20-23 in Phoenix, AZ.